Denmark Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service lieutenant Paul Beazley took home a major individual award at the WA Fire and Emergency Services Awards on Saturday, but said winning the gong was bittersweet.
Mr Beazley won the volunteer fire and rescue service individual achievement award, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ highest individual honour, for rescuing a crew member trapped in a fire truck rollover.
The crew were driving back from a call-out in Rocky Gully last year when an appliance rolled on Muir Highway, leaving the driver trapped.
Mr Beazley extricated his colleague and performed first aid until an ambulance arrived.
The horror experience motivated Mr Beazley to take the next steps in his training, taking on lieutenant and training officer roles and introducing new training programs for volunteers.
He was honoured to have won the award, but said it was bittersweet to be recognised for his actions in an incident no firefighter wants to experience where a fellow crew member was seriously injured.
“It was definitely a surprise to win,” he said.
“The other nominees in my category, the things they do are really amazing and what people do behind the scenes day in and day out in this job is incredible.
“My win was bittersweet, because it all started with an accident I would rather had not happened at all.
“But I was very honoured to be chosen of course, and it means a lot to myself and my brigade.”
Mr Beazley was one of 35 finalists chosen from 139 nominees hailing from both volunteer and career brigades across WA.
Humble down to his toes, he said the award was recognition of his volunteer crew’s tireless work and commitment to their fellow members and their community.
“I think an award like this is great for the community to see that they are in good hands, that while we are volunteers and we do this for our own reasons, we are a professional brigade and we can do the job to a high standard,” he said.
The support of the crew, getting me through after the accident, was amazing, I really couldn’t have kept going the way I did without them
“I’ve had a few people say to me ‘I couldn’t do what you do’, but it’s not the kind of job you can do on your own.
“Without the crew around you, you can’t do the job.”
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